July 20: Morning at the Mission: A Program and Tour at the Historic Ottawa Indian Mission & Burying Ground

Diana Staresinic-Deane
Illustration. A woodframe meeting house stands within a wooden fence. Grave markers are visible to the left. Small houses and people are scattered among the trees and fields. Wagons and horses are parked along a dirt road. A stone pillar with a plaque reading Ottawa Indian Mission and Burying Ground: Graves of J Meeker, Founder, Chief Comchau, Notino, The Medicine Man, J. Tecumseh Jones Founder of OU in the foreground.

Morning at the Mission: A Program and Tour at the Historic Ottawa Indian Mission & Burying Ground

featuring
Kalisha Dixon Pheasant, Chief of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma
John Mark Lambertson, Historian

Saturday, July 20, 2024, 9 a.m.

3375 Osborne Terrace, Ottawa, Kansas, 66067 
Tickets: $25 in Advance; $30 at the Gate
Current Ottawa University students free with student ID at the gate


Founded by Jotham Meeker after the 1844 flood destroyed much of the original 1837 mission site, the Ottawa Indian Mission was home to the Ottawa of Blanchard’s Fork and Roche de Boeuf and Oquanoxy’s Village until their removal to Oklahoma after the Civil War. The site once included the mission house, a meeting house, and several other structures near the California Road. Today, the cemetery continues to serve as the final resting place of many members of the Ottawa tribe and other early settlers in Franklin County.

Learn more about Jotham Meeker and the Ottawa Mission

Learn more about the history of the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma

Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma Chief Kalisha Dixon Pheasant and historian John Mark Lambertson will discuss the site’s historic, cultural, and spiritual significance. The program will be followed by an opportunity for visitors to explore the cemetery and mission site grounds.

All proceeds benefit the Franklin County Historical Society. Purchase advanced tickets here.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate on the day of the program. Advanced ticket sales will close July 19, 2024, 4 p.m. CST. All remaining tickets will be sold at the gate.

Are you a current Ottawa University student? You will receive free admission by presenting their university ID at the gate.

Before purchasing your tickets, please note:

  • Tickets are nonrefundable.
  • The cemetery address is 3375 Osborne Terrace, Ottawa, Kansas. 66067. It is located in a rural area just outside of the city limits.
  • Parking is limited and carpooling is encouraged.
  • This is a historic cemetery. Be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces. A limited number of carts will be available for visitors who need mobility assistance.
  • The program will be held in the field adjacent to the cemetery. Please bring your own blankets or chairs to sit on.
  • The program will be outdoors during a hot summer day in Kansas. Hats, water bottles, sunscreen, and insect repellant are highly recommended.
  • In the event of inclement weather, the program will be moved to the Ottawa University Gangwish Library Schendel Conference Center, 1001 South Cedar Street, Ottawa, Kansas, 66067.
  • This cemetery is the historic resting place of real people. Please be respectful. Photography is allowed, but please do not make rubbings of headstones. Old markers are fragile and can chip or topple with pressure.
  • Questions? Please call (785) 242-1232 or e-mail director@olddepotmuseum.org.

Special thanks to Ottawa University, the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma and the General Hand Chapter of the DAR for their support.

Image from Charles Goslin’s illustration of the Ottawa Indian Mission (circa 1850).

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